Semi-final heartache for Wright

Liam Apicella

Peter Wright will have to wait at least another 12 months to clinch a first William Hill World Darts Championship crown after he lost 6-3 to Gary Anderson tonight.

For Wright — the 2014 finalist — it was a case of what might have been, having seen his impressive form throughout the tournament with the doubles desert him at crucial moments against the defending champion.

To put that into context, Wright headed into the match with an overall doubles success rate of 53%, but he took out just 14 of 47 (30%) on the evening.

And yet, it all started positively for Mendham-based Wright, who got proceedings under way at Alexandra Palace in north London with a 180.

But he would go on to miss six darts at a double during the opening leg, with Anderson eventually winning the first set 3-0.

Wright rallied in the second set, only to lose it 3-2, before Snakebite finally got his first set on the board thanks to a 10-dart leg.

An average of 112 was not enough for Wright in set four, but he again reduced the arrears to one in the next set when he came from two legs down to prosper.

The momentum stayed with 46-year-old Wright in set six, which he nabbed 3-2 to restore parity.

However, it was two-time champion Anderson that then took over the mantle, winning five legs in a row to open up a 5-3 lead to leave him just one set away from a place in the final for a third year running.

Faced with the unenviable task of needing to win three sets in a row to keep his world title dream alive, Wright was unable to deliver the goods as he lost set nine, 3-0.